The
Wilhelm Financial Midget Huskies LL3 were in Elmira on November 23 to do battle
with the Wildcats LL1. The Dogs were a little short benched but were determined
to not let that be the deciding factor in the outcome.
Things did not start well for the Huskies when the hosts posted the first goal with less than two minutes gone. The Huskies struggled to find their footing and caught a break late in the frame when the Wildcats took a head-contact major that the Dogs made the most of. They came roaring out of the gate in the second with passing plays that the hosts failed to counter. Bailey Zehr broke the puck out to Andrew Just who found Connor Ross open near the face-off circle. His shot on the deck beat the Woolwich goalie to tie the contest. It was the catalyst the Huskies needed to get their game on. Next it was Cam Gingerich setting up Trent Reinhart who’s screened point shot put the Dogs in front. The game tempo went up a notch with end-to-end action ensuing. Woolwich retied the game on a foot race to the net but the Huskies answered on a tic-tac-toe play. Damian Naylor got the puck deep and fed Ross who was battling for position behind the opposition net. Ross hit Gingerich who was positioned high in the slot and he quickly made it a goal for the visitors. The sea-saw battle continued into the third with the hosts making the most of a delayed penalty call for holding on the Huskies. The Dogs roared back immediately on another great team play. Dylan Hempey executed a perfect breakout out to Naylor who in turn hit a hard driving Mike Glauser. Glauser blasted one toward the Woolwich net which the goalie misplayed, allowing the Huskies to once again take the lead. Refusing to quit, the hosts came back on a power-play when the Pack took a hooking penalty. This game was clearly up for grabs and Glauser was more than happy to do a little grabbing. Brandon Wagler, always grinding along the boards, found his line mate open and hit him on the fly as he raced to the opposition net and buried it to restore the lead. The gas was out of the Woolwich tank and the Huskies garnered the insurance marker with 3 minutes remaining. Gingerich’s cross-ice pass found Ross as he bolted for the Woolwich net, making no mistake on the play. Woolwich pulled their goalie but the Dogs held on to secure the 6 – 4 win in this back-and-forth struggle. They hope to continue the success on November 29 when they travel to St. George to do battle with the Generals.